Shop Summary:First of all, I have only been in this store once, but I did call them awhile back to ask them about specific models of bikes, which happened to be models they don't carry, but I'll get into that more in a minute. One thing I have to mention is that for some reason, whether it's marketing, word of mouth, or location (on an extremely busy Highway that goes from Shoreline, Washington to the 405 entrance at the NE corner of Lake Washington) this place has a reputation that precedes itself. I've driven past it more times than I can remember, morning and night on the way to and from work. I'd been wanting to stop by for awhile.

One day I finally decided to stop by on the way home from work. Now, I'm not a power cyclist but I do like to ride, and I know a little bit about bikes and accessories, so when I go into a shop I at least know what I'm looking for. I was looking for a water bottle and cage for the upcoming summer, but I also decided to look around a little just to see what they had.

What I noticed, which confirmed the impression that I got over the phone, is that they don't carry Specialized, Gary Fisher, Trek, and Cannondale. They carry Felt, Scott, Kona, and Giant. They also had tons of kids bikes. It seems almost like they are oriented toward families and people who don't care about anything in a bike they buy besides the price of the bike.

They have a tiny selection of everything else. For example, one water bottle holder, two water bottled and only a few helmets. The have zero full face helmets. This is not at all a shop where professionals would shop unless they just happened to have exactly the item they wanted.

Customer Service:When I walked in I was greeted by a salesperson, but when he found out I wasn't in the market for any high ticket items he couldn't hide his disappointment. He just turned around started to walk toward the back of the shop, while answering my questions over his shoulder.

It's worth noting that I was the only customer in the store. I could imagine if there were a dozen customers lining up at the register with their wallets open, but there seemed nothing better to do in the store that day than answer my questions.

His behavior was ironic considering brands like Kona and Giant are centered around cyclists who don't know much about bikes. Those are the exact types of people who would need a more creative salesperson to help them.

Other Comments:Bothell Bike and Ski is ruined by a number of factors. Including: customer service worse than cold war era communist style flea market service, chokingly tight ratcheting on brand selections of products, and a high focus on bikes for people who either buy the lowest price bike because they don't know anything about bikes, or else those who are more experienced but hold sentiment for brands like Giant and Kona because they haven't taken the time to find out you can get better quality bikes at any given price point. I suppose I'd recommend it over K-mart or Fred Meyer, but places like Bicycles West or Gregg's beat it in every way for avid cyclists. I'd recommend other stores like Gregg's and Bicycles West

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Shop Summary:Small shop, waaay out of the way for me. But it's a GREAT place to get a bike.

Customer Service:Absolutely could not be better in any way. I had a problem that required an uncommon amount of work and attention on an expensive bike and they could not have been more helpful or attentive.

Other Comments:Kind of small and almost painfully far for me to get to, but it was worth it - it's a stellar shop.

1) gave me best price in the country on a new model that had to be ordered. New bikes are rarely on sale, and even rarer for bikes that must be special ordered. REI wanted a surcharge for special order.

2) So small, you wouldn't think the service would be that great, but it is. LARGE staff of Mechanics are very competent, enthusiastic riders - very enjoyable to work with.

3) They listen and more importantly ACT when you have a problem. My front derailleur had a problem that resisted normal fixes. They didn't complain about sending the bike back to the manufacturer.

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